An internet tale Winchester/Shaun of the Dead project on CUUSOO

[fred67]

When I posted this on CUUSOO back in January I almost immediately took contact via email with the CUUSOO rep to get a pulse of how they felt about it. Their message has been pretty much the same all along – no guarantees, but go ahead. So I did, and I got (very) lucky.

Their response when you got 500+ seems very optimistic, though:

Since Shaun of the Dead is a comedy, and you present your work in a humorous fashion, we believe this is within the realm of the LEGO company brand standards on violence. Note that the zombie theme does put this project at the edge of what we produce, however we recognize that the LEGO Group produces other products where themese of violence and death play a significant role.

That is 100% accurate. I see no reason they shouldn't make this set, and can mention several sets they've made from somewhat gruesome scenes in movies... the fact that they've released zombies themselves is only the clincher.

If they don't do it, it'll be for some other reason whether they state it publicly or not... this would be the biggest set from Cuusoo that reached the needed votes, so they might consider it the biggest risk. It wouldn't surprise me if they "played the violence card" to slink out of making it, but I'm pretty optimistic about it right now.

[Lyichir]

Their response when you got 500+ seems very optimistic, though:

That is 100% accurate. I see no reason they shouldn't make this set, and can mention several sets they've made from somewhat gruesome scenes in movies... the fact that they've released zombies themselves is only the clincher.

If they don't do it, it'll be for some other reason whether they state it publicly or not... this would be the biggest set from Cuusoo that reached the needed votes, so they might consider it the biggest risk. It wouldn't surprise me if they "played the violence card" to slink out of making it, but I'm pretty optimistic about it right now.

Another point to make is that LEGO rejecting this project could delegitimize Cuusoo in the eyes of fans. This is only the second international project to reach the required number of supporters, so it would look better for them if they made this set, just to show how devoted they are to listening to what fans want. If they do reject it on the grounds that the subject matter is too adult, I expect that they will codify such a restriction into the Cuusoo rules so that no such project is voted in only to be rejected in the future.

I've never seen Shaun of the Dead, but I've heard it's good. And I saw Scott Pilgrim, also by Edgar Wright, and loved that, so perhaps Shaun of the Dead needs to be next on my viewing list, especially if we may see a LEGO set in the future!

[tedbeard]

So far I did not get any direct contact with Pegg, Wright or anyone behind the production of the movie but I would just like to mention what Simon Pegg said on his twitter:

“By the way, if by some miracle the Shaun Lego did go into production, me and Edgar do not stand to gain anything. We have no stake in merch. »

« By that I mean, there is no ulterior motive other than the sheer coolness of it. It ain't the Benjamins, it's the bricks. »

Well, this is slightly bad news. If Pegg has no "stake in merch" then he has no control over the merchandising rights and thus might not be the one who can give permission for use. Hopefully his goodwill will count for something though.

[Solscud007]

Well, this is slightly bad news. If Pegg has no "stake in merch" then he has no control over the merchandising rights and thus might not be the one who can give permission for use. Hopefully his goodwill will count for something though.

More than likely, stuff like this comes down to the studios that backed the movie. If Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg were able to, they could have retained merchandising rights. But since George Lucas has set the precedence for that, I think all studios want to keep merchandising rights close to their chests as possible. In the off chance the director goes and makes millions from it.

Yatkuu, can we get a break down of supporters before the Conan O'Brien show?

Edited April 2, 2012 by Solscud007

[Yatkuu]

Yatkuu, can we get a break down of supporters before the Conan O'Brien show?

The Win was ranked 9th with 1800 supporters.

The O'Brien show was the trigger but it's Simon who did the job and it is also an incredible succession of events. During the interview Simon started by telling a story about how he liked to make fun of his fans on Twitter - as a result, a lot of people started following him on Twitter right away. Moments later he sends the link to the Winchester via Twitter... snow ball effect.

I also wanted to add my own 2 cents on the IP licensing question. This movie ain’t the LOTR or Star Wars it’s 8 years old and despite its huge fan base it is pretty much back catalog. Apart from doing re-edition of the DVD, BR what could they possibly expect to still make out of it? I think that any person with a bit of commercial sense could see the potential to make a profit out of something nobody was really counting on anymore. In my opinion, from a commercial stand point it can only be a “win” for the IP owners (pun intended).

Note also that there has already been some productions of Shaun of the Dead merchandise.

Edit: The Guardian is talking about the Winchester.

Edited April 2, 2012 by Yatkuu

[caperberry]

The Win was ranked 9th with 1800 supporters.

Amazing, all those months of hard work got you 1800 supports and then it all paid off... the power of television still reigns supreme over the interwebs. Congratulations (once again! - the more I learn about your campaign the more I appreciate your dedication).

[mrklaw]

The Win was ranked 9th with 1800 supporters.

The O'Brien show was the trigger but it's Simon who did the job and it is also an incredible succession of events. During the interview Simon started by telling a story about how he liked to make fun of his fans on Twitter - as a result, a lot of people started following him on Twitter right away. Moments later he sends the link to the Winchester via Twitter... snow ball effect.

I also wanted to add my own 2 cents on the IP licensing question. This movie ain’t the LOTR or Star Wars it’s 8 years old and despite its huge fan base it is pretty much back catalog. Apart from doing re-edition of the DVD, BR what could they possibly expect to still make out of it? I think that any person with a bit of commercial sense could see the potential to make a profit out of something nobody was really counting on anymore. In my opinion, from a commercial stand point it can only be a “win” for the IP owners (pun intended).

Note also that there has already been some productions of Shaun of the Dead merchandise.

Edit: The Guardian is talking about the Winchester.

Also, aren't Pegg and Wright starting to write the third part of the cornetto trilogy about now (Shaun/Hot Fuzz/xxxx)? If so and if it's the same studio supporting, they might like the positive press this gets to keep fans interested

[Solscud007]

I did not know they are making a third one. I love SOTD and HF!!!

[WhiteFang]

Congratulations Yatkuu for making it through the 10,000th mark!

[TAFOL]

Congratulations Yatkuu for achieving this milestone.

I can't wait to find out what TLG decides to do with your winning entry.

It'd be the end of May once we find out if your project probably is going to be turned into a product, right?

After all, it took the Minecraft-project nearly 2 months to pass the Review-stage.

Edited April 3, 2012 by TAFOL

[Larrynautik]

I wanted to reply to Yaktu and give my opinion,

On Brickset we can read today the Winchester Dilemma" or the fact that LEGO would be "damned if they do, damned if they don't".

It's exactly the situation of the Lego group now !

If they do it, they can be blamed by people who do not like the zombie and weapon style, and the universe of Shaun of the Dead. These people can consider that it is not in the mood of the Lego products. Something like "Hey, look at what Lego made ! It's a shame ! ".

If they don't do it, the CUUSOO concept would be severely questioned. As a quite new concept, it could really deceive people to see that a good project they voted for and reached the 10.000 is not put in production. For a lot of members of the Lego community around the world, it would mean that CUUSOO idea do not get a real result, lowering the influence Lego fans get on the sets proposed by the Lego group.

I think that in every case there will be a controversy, but in terms of image, Lego should commercialize this, and I explain why : a lot of AFOLs are kids that become old enough to buy a ton of sets, and in the future they will represent an increasing population of buyers. Lego understood it and began to make sets designed for adults, like big Modular sets, Architecture, UCS, Volkswagen and more. I recently purchased the Carousel and the UCS Falcon, and they're really stunning. When I show them to other adults they say "Wow ! Lego does that ? It's really cool !". They see that it is not only toys for kids, but a real safe adult hobby. It costs a lot (ask my bankster !) but as an AFOL you can spend far more money that parents would decently spend for their kids. Releasing the Shaun of the Dead CUUSOO project would be a clear message towards the AFOLs, saying "We hear you".

Just to clarify my motives, I never did this to corner LEGO in a difficult situation.

I think you gave to the CUUSOO concept the opportunity to show its value, or its limits. I think it is an excellent thing that was to be done. It's like a dialog between AFOLs and the Lego group :

- Why are you complaning, AFOLs ?

- You never hear what we're saying, we feel like nothing.

- Okay, so, let's do the CUUSOO, and tell us what you want.

- We want zombies and rifles. We want a Shaun of the Dead set.

- Hold on a second please... We have a critical choice to do now ! Can we really do that ?

When I posted this on CUUSOO back in January I almost immediately took contact via email with the CUUSOO rep to get a pulse of how they felt about it. Their message has been pretty much the same all along – no guarantees, but go ahead. So I did, and I got (very) lucky.

They challenged you, and you succeded. It's not a matter of luck its a matter of talent. You are modest ! (It's a rare quality !)

Lego morally has to respect the deal now.

I don't know if the kid filter has to apply to a CUUSOO project reaching the 10.000 votes, but it wouldn't be logical. Of course some filters has to be applied, because you can really post anything on CUUSOO, and even things in total contradiction with the brand values. But this Shaun of the Dead MOC is not in contradiction with it. Lego themselves decided to design the new Monsters theme, with vampyres, zombies and all. The weapons - riffles, guns, baseball bats etc. - already exist too. There is nothing they haven't done before (excepted the fact that Shaun of the Dead is a universe, but it's not really a thing that "acts" for a static Lego creation. When you buy and own a Star Wars set, do you think about all the philosophical meaning of the Star Wars movie, about the tragedy of the choices the characters have to make and that will change their destiny forever ? No ! You only get a Star Wars set, the lightsaber swooshable side !)

Personnaly I haven't seen Shaun of the Dead. I think it's not my kind of movie. But it's the kind of Lego set I would like to have, for sure !

[Yatkuu]

I wanted to reply to Yaktu and give my opinion,

Thank you Larrynautik for taking the time to write this, you made my day! Very good argumentation. Si jamais LEGO me contacte et je sais pas quoi leur répondre je t'appelle!

Another interesting question was discussed earlier today on Brickset and I wanted to bring the topic here too. A few days ago CUUSOO announced a revision of the project approval process, check the blog post here.

While this certainly linked with the "Shaun incident" I don't buy the theory that it automatically means it is going to get a no-go.

I am not surprised by these changes, they actually make perfect sense. The internal discussion on the "Win" still needs to happen (I was told it would only happen after Easter).

LEGO made it clear in their initial feedback on the project:

"Since Shaun of the Dead is a comedy, and you present your work in a humorous fashion, we believe this is within the realm of the LEGO company brand standards on violence. Note that the zombie theme does put this project at the edge of what we produce, however we recognize that the LEGO Group produces other products where themes of violence and death play a significant role.”

Within the Realm, but on the edge – this is where the “Win” stands.

With these new guidelines they just want to make sure someone does not start posting projects that are obviously beyond this “realm of company standards”. For instance projects based on movies like “Hostel” or “Saw”, “Modern Warfare” or any other theme that would clearly be beyond the limits of what they do.

If the Winchester was posted today, I still think it would pass this initial review.

This new process will also help improve the overall quality of the projects posted and solve most plagiarism issues.

So, good news IMO and let's not forget that CUUSOO is still in Beta so changes are to be expected.

[J.V.D.]

If the Winchester was posted today, I still think it would pass this initial review.

Well, that is still to see. But anyway, you picked a rather neutral scene (a "modular" build with some zombies in front of it) out of a moderate and even comical horror movie. Lego did do already sets based on movies with cruel scenes in them too.

Now, if you had found your inspiration in another zombie picture, and placed your undead in frot of, e.g. the "Titty Twister" bar from From Dusk till Dawn, then it would be another ballgame.... :-)

However, congratulations with reaching the CUUSO milestone

[Khorne]

Congratulations on hitting the 10 000 fan mark on CUUSOO! It's a great build and the whole story behind it is really nice to read. It's amazing how it so suddenly gained attention all over the internet (and the media in general).

Also, I read an article about you and your creation today in the newspaper. It's so awesome to see AFOLs get in the papers with their creations. It shows that people are fascinated by what one can achieve with a simple building toy .

I really hope you can get your MOC to become a real set. I'm rooting for you !

EDIT: For those interested, I found the online version of the article. You can read it here (but it's in Dutch only) .

Edited April 4, 2012 by Khorne

[TAFOL]

EDIT: For those interested, I found the online version of the article. You can read it here (but it's in Dutch only) .

And here's the English translation (freely translated, so sorry for any grammar errors):

Gregory Coquelz turns zombie comedy into LEGO

LEGO charmed by Belgian zombie figs

Children play well with LEGO' date=' adults used to play well with it. Or they still do. Like Gregory Coquelz (34) from Kasteelbrakel (Castlebrackle). He designed a complete LEGO set based on the zombie comedy 'Shaun of the Dead'. De producers of the movie gave the Belgian the green light, and now LEGO is going to consider producing the game.

'As a kid I was a fan of LEGO', Gregory Coquelz says. But from a certain age you start to outgrow it. However, when I became a father, that fascination suddenly arised again. Besides, I'm a huge fan of 'Shaun of the Dead'. In that parody on modern zombie movies, lead actor Simon Pegg, famous from movies such as 'Mission Impossible: III' and 'Tintin', must take on hordes of the living dead, with hilarious moments as a result.

'Shaun of the Dead' knows its highlight in a pub called the Winchester, which was why Gregory decided to build it. 'It's build with truth, because the pub really exists. The build took at least a month's work. Even the characters from the movie I made in bricks. I especially wanted to do something fun with 2 of my passions.

Gregory posted his creation on his blog, which went around the world next. Simon Pegg and Edward Wright, director of 'Shaun of the Dead', discovered his creation and were over the moon by it.

And so Gregory posted his creation on a special website called 'Cuusoo'. Every LEGO fan can show his or her build on this website. And if a design reaches 10000 votes, it's going to be reviewed by a group of LEGO specialists, followed by the possible approval and production of the entry. When Simon Pegg talked about Gregory's creation on American television, the votes skyrocketed. In no time it made the 10000 votes!

'Congratulations on your many supporters', LEGO commented. 'We now official take your idea into consideration. A LEGO jury will examine the idea and if green lighted, your Cuusoo entry will officially be produced.' In the mean time, Gregory Coquelz waits impatiently. 'The zombie theme is on the edge for LEGO. Hence the discussion that has to take place. On the other hand, there is much support for this project. After Easter, there will be a first meeting in the LEGO headquarters in Denmark.'[/quote']

Source: http://www.nieuwsblad.be/article/detail.aspx?articleid=GB83OBRAR

Edited April 4, 2012 by TAFOL

[Miss Kyle]

Thanks for translating it. It's great how positive the article is!

[Yatkuu]

Hello everyone!

I don't have an update to share on the project yet but anyone who is interested to read what the media say about this can check the media coverage section on makethewinchester.com... updated daily!

http://www.makethewinchester.com/media-coverage/

Today we have a very nice article in the Belgian newspapers from the "SudPresse" group link to the PDF here. The story even made it onto the frontpage!!

[Solscud007]

Hello everyone!

I don't have an update to share on the project yet but anyone who is interested to read what the media say about this can check the media coverage section on makethewinchester.com... updated daily!

http://www.makethewinchester.com/media-coverage/

Today we have a very nice article in the Belgian newspapers from the "SudPresse" group link to the PDF here. The story even made it onto the frontpage!!

Nice bit of notoriety. Yatkuu do you have your Shaun of the Dead Cube Dudes posted anywhere with close up pictures?

[Yatkuu]

Nice bit of notoriety. Yatkuu do you have your Shaun of the Dead Cube Dudes posted anywhere with close up pictures?

Ha, you noticed the Cube Dudes! No, I have not posted them yet! I wanted to use them to advertise the Win in a near future... but.. I did not have the time to do it! The fact is that I wanted to clear this with Angus MacLane before I present them on any site or forum but I did not get a reply. You see, Angus has already built a "Shaun" and my version is 90% of his design so I wanted to get his input first.

[Solscud007]

I was reading the guidelines on Cuusoo and I just learned that you will get 1% of the sales. Quite a nice little "Win"-dfall haha sorry for the pun.

[Yatkuu]

I was reading the guidelines on Cuusoo and I just learned that you will get 1% of the sales. Quite a nice little "Win"-dfall haha sorry for the pun.

yup, although nobody knows what this means... there are also probably tax issues to consider.

I mentionned here before that I never did this for the $$... If this happens one of my ideas was to do do some contest sponsorship around the CUUSOO concept... but let's just see how this turns out first!

[antp]

And here's the English translation (freely translated, so sorry for any grammar errors):

Source: http://www.nieuwsblad.be/article/detail.aspx?articleid=GB83OBRAR

Nice, before this article I didn't even realize that Yatkuu was from Belgium :)

[Solscud007]

Nice, before this article I didn't even realize that Yatkuu was from Belgium :)

Not to be a jerk but it says Belgium under his avatar.

[Yatkuu]

Nice, before this article I didn't even realize that Yatkuu was from Belgium :)

Yes, I trust Belgium will from now on be famous for it’s beer, chocolate, waffles… and the LEGO version of the Winchester Tavern!

I don't know if you guys have noticed but the homepage of CUUSOO has been updated.

I'm not sharing this to brag but I find it interesting that they chose to use the picture of the Minifigures instead of the main view from the building. It's perhaps only a question of aspect ratio that is more appropriate for the page... but it looks really cool (also love the "Shaun" thumbnail view on the side).

That's also cool for BrickArms btw, what an advertisment for their products! I mean, a custom MF holding a custom accessory on the homepage of a LEGO sponsored site?!

[Larrynautik]

It's really a good thing that the CUUSOO webpage was updated and now shows your project

Now, we have to wait, and it's the most difficult part for us : the suspense !

But apparently the things moved a little as Lego decided to revise the CUUSOO projects submission system, adding a step for the new projects. It's a good thing they made this, as it shows that they're having a deeper look into the CUUSOO idea. It will also prevent unappropriated projects that could never be released. As I told in my previous post, you gave CUUSOO the opportunity to define its limits

At the moment we do not know what the Lego team will decide, but I hope they will satisfy the fans who liked the MOC, the Shaun of the Dead universe, the zombies and the Modular buildings !